Brief Biography: C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis was born November 29, 1898, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His only
sibling was his older brother, Warren Hamilton Lewis (1895–1973), with whom
he would remain very close throughout his life. Their mother died of cancer
when Lewis was nine years old.
After receiving a scholarship to University College, Oxford University, England
in 1916, Lewis soon suspended his studies in 1917 to enlist in the British Infantry
during World War I. Wounded during the Battle of Arras, he was discharged at
the end of 1919.
Soon after, Lewis resumed his studies in Oxford, later to become a Fellow and
Tutor of English Literature at Magdalen College, Oxford. He served there from
1925 until 1954, when he was appointed Chair of Medieval and Renaissance
Literature at Magdalene College, Cambridge.
In 1930, Lewis and his brother, Warren, moved into what became Lewis’s lifelong
home, “The Kilns,” located just outside Oxford.
Overview
Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963)
was a brilliant scholar, acclaimed
writer, literary critic, and Christian
apologist. He is particularly
honored for his contributions in
literary criticism, apologetics, and
children’s and fantasy literature.
Of his over thirty books and
numerous essays (the majority of
which have remained in print since
his death), the most well-known
are The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere
Christianity, and The Screwtape
Letters. The Chronicles of Narnia series
is especially popular and has been
adapted into several plays, radio
productions, and feature films. Most
recently Time magazine listed the
first book in that series, The Lion, The
Witch, and the Wardrobe, as one of
the top 100 English language novels
written between 1923 and 2005.
Lewis’ works have been translated
into over thirty languages and
millions of copies have been sold
worldwide.
In 1931, influenced by his close friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien and the writings of
G.K. Chesterton, Lewis converted to Christianity and became a member of the
Church of England. His conversion transformed his work and writings. During
WWII, his BBC wartime radio broadcasts on Christianity explained the faith to
many thousands and ultimately brought Lewis worldwide acclaim. He is widely
regarded as one of the most influential Christian writers of the 20th century.
Throughout his years in Oxford, Lewis, Tolkien, and a small company of friends
and fellow writers met frequently to share their creative works-in-progress.
Members of this now famous writers group, the “Inklings,” came to produce
some of the most beloved works of fiction and prose of the 20th century.
Late in his life, in 1956, Lewis married Joy Davidman Gresham, an American
writer. After a four year fight with bone cancer, she died in 1960, after which
Lewis continued to care for her two sons, Douglas and David Gresham. In his
book, A Grief Observed, Lewis expressed his deep anguish over his wife’s death.
The book, which would later inspire the award winning stage play and feature
film, Shadowlands, has been a source of comfort to many experiencing grief.
One week before his 65th birthday, on Friday, November 22, 1963, Lewis died at
The Kilns—the same day that President Kennedy was assassinated and Aldous
Huxley died. He is buried a short walk from his beloved home in the churchyard
of Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry, Oxford.
The C.S. Lewis Foundation is a donor supported 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
organization. Inspired by the life and legacy of C.S. Lewis, the Foundation is
dedicated to advancing the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression
throughout the world of learning and the culture at large. For more information
about the work and programs of the Foundation, contact:
Steve Elmore, Director of Communications
C.S. Lewis Foundation | Redlands, California
(909) 793-0949 | [email protected] | www.cslewis.org